10 Things Every Photographer Needs to Know When Starting Out

Getting good at photography is not just clicking a button of your DSLR. It’s an art that requires the combination of various techniques you’ll need to learn. So, if you’re curious to take a quick dive into the basics of this visual art, here are the ten things that a photographer must know when starting out.

1. Start Off with the Basics

Before you’re able to see the world as if you are looking through the lens, you’ll need to understand the basics. The basics include learning the specific settings your camera model, getting the necessary beginner equipment like memory cards and a good camera strap,and getting comfortable moving around with your camera while shooting, etc. Also, lookup and try to memorize The Exposure Triangle, which is three things: aperture, shutter speed, and ISO.

2. Make the Most out ofSunrise and Sunset

Often, the photographers call the time just before the sunset and after the sunrise the “Golden Hour”. Reason being, the light during this time of the day is warmer and at a more severe angle, making it an ideal time for capturing dramatic shots. Learn to make use of this golden hour and capture breathtaking landscapes and vivid portraits with dramatic shadows using nothing more than the natural light of the sun.

3. Learn to Use an Artificial Light Source

Your mobile device can be used for more than just viewing photos. The flashlight out of your device can be used as an illuminating source while capturing the portraits, indoor photography, and other candid shots. You can use it for tracing various shapes or even for tracing outlines in the sky for long exposures.

4. Experiment with the Photo Editors

A professional photographer knows the value of using a powerful photo editor to bring out the best colors and effects in their photography. Countless photographers have argued for years about what is better,Lightroom vs Photoshop, but there are also dozens of powerful mobile apps that can work well too! However, it entirely depends upon you as the photographer, which style of editing makes the most sense for the type of final image you are trying to create.

5. Learn to Love Bokeh

If you have ever seen a photo where the background was blurry or out of the focus, that technique is known as “bokeh”. That blurry dreamy background you see all over Instagram in portraits is people experimenting with different ways to show off bokeh. Different lenses can create different looking bokeh effects, so keep that in mind when looking to buy a new lens that you intend on creating bokeh images with.

6. Deep Dive into Your DSLR

The better knowledge you have about your camera, the more you will be able to get the full potential out of it. Don’t just order one off Amazon and start shooting, but take a deep dive into the manual that comes with it to learn all of its powerful features. Learn what all of the various buttons covering its surface do, as you will be amazed at how many different ways there are to do the same thing, because the camera is designed to adapt to your style of shooting.

7. Learn the Art of Long Exposure Photography

The art of long exposures is a fun technique for all new photographers, as it will really help you learn about shutter speed, ISO, and aperture all at the same time. By slowing down the shutter speed of your DSLR you will be able to capture an extended period of time in one single shot, creating what is often a unique and beautiful effect. Definitely try out this effect on moving water, car traffic on a road, or with crowds of people to see clear examples of how it works.

8. Magic of the Double Exposures

This fun technique involved overlaying one photo over another photo to create a dramatic and artistic final image that blends the two seamlessly. This effect is very popular on social media and requires you as the photographer to think about how two different elements are going to work together, thus forcing you to push your creativity even farther.

9. Working with Smoke and Fog

One of the most rewarding things about photography is that nearly anything could be treated as the subject of the image, even smoke or fog. The ideal time to carry out experimentation with smoke or fog is when there is not direct sunlight, such as a cloudy day or sunrise/sunset. You might require a separate light source like a flash, a tripod to keep the camera still, and something to hide the source of the smoke.

10. Back Up Your Photos!

As a photographer, you must make it a habit to backup all your photos and videos on a very regular basis.At any point, your memory card could be corrupted and fail or your hard drive could die. This sadly has happened to countless thousands of photographers and they lost years of work!Don’t risk losing you art because of something so simple to solve.